Descriptive Research Strategy: Chapter 13 Flashcards
characteristics of qualitative measurement
- exploratory
- no hypothesis
- narrative report
- small n
- theory building
characteristics of quantitative measurement
- confirmatory
- hypothesis
- statistical analyses
- large n
- theory confirming
quantitative research: categories
I:
- descriptive
II:
- correlational
III:
- experimental
- quasi-experimental
- non-experimental
level of constraint
- how much control is exercised over the data collection
- the more rules and the more specific & precise the
method, the higher the level of constraint.
high constraint
- higher precision & validity for
conclusions - not flexible
low constraint
- more flexible/exploratory
- be careful about conclusions (precision? validity?)
goal of descriptive research
- to describe every single variable involved
- measures a variable or set of variables as they exist naturally
- not concerned with associations between variables
categories of descriptive research
- observational
- survey
- case study
observational research: collecting data
- archival research
- behavioural observation
- content analysis
behavioural observation
- direct observation and systematic recording in a natural setting.
- concerns:
1. Presence of researcher/solution = habituation
2. Subjectivity/solution = multiple raters, trained observers, clearly defined behaviors
quantifying behavioural observations
- frequency method
- duration method
- interval method
frequency method
counting instances of each specific behavior
duration method
counting time individual spent engaging in specific
behavior during a fixed-time observation period
interval method
dividing observation period into a series of intervals and recording if behavior occurs during each interval
- time sampling
- event sampling
- individual sampling
content analysis
- behavioural observation
- divide into behavioural categories
– employ multiple observers - inter-rater reliability
archival analysis
- examination of historical records to measure behaviour of the past
Types of observational research studies
- naturalistic / unobtrusive observation
- participant observation
- contrived / structured observation
naturalistic observation benefits
+ behavior observed in real world
+ authentic / high external validity
+ observe behaviors that cannot be
manipulated
naturalistic observation disadvantages
- time-consuming, observer influence
- subjective interpretation
participant observation benefits
+ access to otherwise inaccessible information
+ participation offers unique insight
+ authentic / high external validity
participant observation disadvantages
- time-consuming / dangerous
- ethical issues
- observer influence
- loss of objectivity
contrived observation benefits
+ don’t have to wait for behavior to occur
+ can be done in lab or in the field
contrived observation disadvantages
- less authentic?
contrived observation
- observe participants in a setting designed to illicit the behavior of interest
- structured
participant observation
- interact with participants or become one of them
- go undercover
naturalistic observation
- observe behavior in a natural setting as unobtrusively as possible
- “fly on the wall”
goal of survey research design
get a sense of people’s attitudes and behaviours
in relation to a particular issue
3 major areas of consideration for survey
- question content/wording of questions
- the response format
- administering a survey
demographic information
- age
- educational level
- ethnicity
- gender
- income level
- living condition
- language spoken
- marital status
- program of study
- profession
survey questions: things to look out for
- is the question necessary or useful?
- what level of detail is required? - are several questions needed?
- is the main question enough or do you need further clarification? - is your question double-barrelled?
- do respondents have the needed information?
- ask a filter question first
- is the terminology too complex?
- are acronyms easily understood? - is the question biased or loaded
- will respondents answer truthfully?
- is the question specific enough?
response format
- open-ended questions
- restricted questions
- rating-scale questions
open-ended questions
- introduce a topic and allow participants to respond in their own words
- can give indication of how much detail you want
restricted questions
- present a limited number of response alternatives
- can add element of openness (other)
rating-scale questions
require selection of a numerical value on a
predetermined scale
semantic differential scale
- multiple response options, polar opposites
- draw line across dash
administering a survey
- Internet survey
- mail surveys
- telephone surveys
- in-person surveys and interviews
Internet survey strength
- efficient to administer to a large number of participants
- access to large number of individuals with common characteristics
- can be individualized based on participant’s responses
Internet survey weaknesses
- initial expense for site
- may not be representative
- cannot control the composition of the sample
mail survey strengths
- convenient and anonymous
- nonthreatening to participants
- easy to administer
mail survey weaknesses
- can be expensive, time-consuming
- low response rate and nonresponse bias
- unsure exactly who completes the survey
telephone surveys strengths
- can be conducted from home or office
- participants can stay at home or office
telephone surveys weaknesses
- time-consuming
- potential for interview bias
in-person survey strengths
- efficient to administer with groups
- 100% response rate
- flexible (group or individual interviews)
in-person survey weaknesses
- time-consuming
- risk of interviewer bias
case study
- in-depth examination of one or more individuals
of interest - idiographic approach
case studies: if no treatment or intervention =___
case history
case study: strengths
- not averaged over diverse group
- detailed description
- vivid, powerful, convincing
- compatible with clinical work
- can study rare and unusual events
- can identify exceptions to the rules
case study: weaknesses
- limited generalization
- potential for selective bias
- potential for subjective interpretation
